Cypress Point celebrates success, pumps kids up for testing

A pep rally Thursday highlighted the dance talents of the Junior Beta Club. The group of 24 students will compete at the national this summer in Georgia. Monroe native Larrese Rollins also gave an inspirational talk that kept the kids moving and engaged. He told them to approach the upcoming LEAP test with confidence.
Bonnie Bolden/The News-Star

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The Junior Beta Club at Cypress Point University Elementary performs a basketball-themed dance routine at a pep rally on Thursday.(Photo: Bonnie Bolden/The News-Star -)Buy Photo

"S-U-C-C-E-S-S: that's the way you spell success. We shall have it, we're the best!" students chanted to kick off a pep rally at Cypress Point University Elementary on Thursday.

The event celebrated the success of the school's Junior Beta Club and pumped up students for the upcoming LEAP test.

The school's 24 Junior Betas will go to Savannah, Georgia to compete at the National Junior Convention. They showcased their group talent: a basketball-themed dance routine.

Adviser Edward Williams said the Junior Beta Club consists of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students. He said they compete in ELA, math, science and social studies, in addition to group talent. They compete with students in grades 4-8.

"It's very time consuming. The kids must maintain a 3.0 GPA. They have to maintain a B in conduct. We have to do community service projects," Williams said.

The group won the state competition in Lafayette earlier this year. They'll go on to compete at the national convention in Savannah, Georgia, leaving Monroe on June 11 and returning June 17.

Williams said the group is working to raise about $30,000 by May 20 to cover taking all the club members and chaperones. That amount includes the charter bus, hotel, food, etc.

Five of the young women in the group were "golden ticket" recipients who will perform at the national convention and be highlight dancers. They'll work with a professional choreographer, and they have a "really strenuous" schedule, Williams said.

Superintendent Brent Vidrine said Cypress Point representing the state at nationals is an honor for the whole district. The students have shown a commitment to work for excellence, and they have achieved their goals.

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Motivational speaker Larrese Rollins told the students at Cypress Point University Elementary to be prepared for the LEAP test.(Photo: Bonnie Bolden/The News-Star -)

At the pep rally, local radio personality and motivational speaker Larrese Rollins encouraged all the students in grades 3-6 to approach standardized testing with confidence.

Rollins kept the students engaged with plenty of dance breaks and told them not to let their inner voices keep them from success. He told them to go to bed early the night before the test, then come in prepared and ready to conquer the task ahead.

Third-grader Camryn Rodgers hit fourth-grade teacher Matthias Drewry, who toppled to the stage in a David and Goliath example.

"You cannot be stopped, no matter what adversity you might face in your life, you have to remember that you can't be stopped. You've got to have that mindset and the mentality going into the test that you can't be stopped," Rollins said.